


like soulmates

by yasi



Series: Callum Highway Week 2021 [1]
Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Callum Highway Week 2021, Character Death, Future Fic, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 19:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30144732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yasi/pseuds/yasi
Summary: written for callum highway week 2021, day 1: i still think about him.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Series: Callum Highway Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2221401
Comments: 16
Kudos: 44





	like soulmates

”Who is that?“ Alex asks, pointing at the photo on Callum’s bedside table. Callum doesn’t need to look to know which one he means.

“That’s my late husband, Ben,” he answers. He knows he’s smiling brightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—” Alex tries to apologise. He’s new, it’s his first shift with Callum.

“Don’t worry! No harm done,” Callum tries to appease him.

Alex seems embarrassed, doesn’t talk while he helps Callum with his meds and then his clothes. But Callum catches him looking at Ben’s picture every now and then. He smiles. It’s a good picture. Ben is laughing, his eyes crinkled. It’s Callum’s favourite.

“Go on, you can ask,” he encourages Alex.

“He looks so young,” Alex starts, helping Callum settle in his favourite armchair. Callum sighs, leaning back. Every day his body hurts more and more. But he doesn’t want to complain.

“Can you hand me the blanket over there?” Callum asks. It’s one of those days, he feels cold no matter how warm his rooms are.

“Sure,” Alex nods. He helps Callum cover his legs.

“That photo was taken a couple months before he died,” Callum begins explaining. “We’d just gotten married, you see. And I’d just told him we were going on our honeymoon. He was so happy,” Callum smiles, thinking back to that time all those years ago. How young they’d been. How happy they’d felt.

“How did he die, if you don’t mind me asking?” Alex asks, pottering around Callum’s little kitchenette.

“Car accident. Of all the things he could have died from, none of us expected that.” It had hurt at the beginning. Callum hadn’t known what to do with himself, back then. He hadn’t been able to deal with anything. Thankfully, he’d had his little family to help him through things in time.

“You must have loved him very much to keep his picture at your side all this time,” Alex observes, handing Callum a cup of tea. Callum appreciates it, both the sentiment and the tea.

“I did. I still do. I couldn’t move on from him for a long time. I told myself he wouldn’t want me to be with anyone else.” He snorts softly. “But as time went one, I caught myself longing for a partner. I knew no one could take Ben’s place, but I didn’t want to be alone all my life. Because I realised that when he helped me come out, he helped me get away from my loneliness. He never would have wanted me to go back to that. So, I went out and met people. I had partners. I loved them all. But I always kept Ben in my heart. And this picture with me.” Callum looks up from his tea, watching Alex.

The poor boy’s eyes are full of tears and he’s sniffling. He’s trying to smile but failing miserably.

“You silly boy, why are you crying?” Callum asks, smiling.

“You must miss him terribly.” Alex rubs away his tears. Callum points to the drawer where the tissues are. He nods thankfully.

“Oh, I do. I still think about him. Every day. But we’ve had some good times together. And I firmly believe that our souls will be together when I die.”

Callum knows what most people think when he says that. That he’s a confused, crazy old man who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But Callum knows better. Ben is waiting for him and they will be together again when the time comes. Callum has lived his life to the fullest in Ben’s memory. And still, he can’t wait to be reunited with his love. With Ben. 

“Oh, I like that. Like soulmates.” Alex smiles beautifully, nodding.

“Yes, just like soulmates.” Callum smiles back. Alex understands.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos feed the muse 💖


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